Hit, Stay or Bust
by The Silver Mystery
Summary: Can't a card game be just a card game? Not with a vampire and a battle butler thrown into the mix! There's dignity riding on the line for this game.


Good heavens the writing bug has afflicted me hard! It won't go away! Not that I want it to. xD

This is going to be a little different as the story will only be told in conversation, not with descriptions. There may be a few here and there to not make the reader lost, but I hope you can get the gist.

* * *

Hit, Stay or Bust

"I must say, Sir, you have a gift for guessing as to how well your odds are that you need to hit until you bust."

"I wouldn't call it a gift, so much as watching the other members of the Round Table try to beat Sir Islands at this game. There's no telling how much he won based off of long nights of card games in between meetings."

"You father was not so lucky in that regard, Sir. I was witness to a number of games as the dealer of the cards. Hubris tended to get in his way, and he did not have that good of a…oh what is the term? 'Poker face' during games."

"A wonderful thing I did NOT learn from my father then! Anyway, Walter. Should I deal this time?"

"So my master enjoys a good card game every once in a while? How very interesting."

"Alucard, really! Stop doing that! You know it's not polite to look over people's shoulders or to phase BESIDE people's shoulders!"

"As you wish, my master."

"No, Sir, I think I can deal one more time. It's fine."

"Oh, what is the matter, Walter? Feel a bit rusty after our last game 60 years ago?"

"Well, I would have won with the Full House if you had not cheated and rearranged the deck when you dealt the last hand."

"A bit of a sore loser, are we Angel of Death?"

"Gentlemen, please. I would rather NOT develop a headache over a game of cards, thank you."

"Yes, Master."

"Sorry Sir."

"But now that you bring that up, Alucard, I think a rematch is in session. To prevent cheating, I will shuffle the deck and be the dealer."

"Oh no, Sir. I am perfectly fine. I would rather not bring up old memories again."

"Ha ha! Walter, have you forgotten how to play poker?"

"I most certainly have not! I am just not as privy to the rules as I once was in my younger years."

"…."

"…."

" You did forget!"

"ALUCARD!"

"Sir Integra, would you say it would be reasonable as to be rusty about the rules and ways to win in Poker after so many years?"

"Indeed, Walter. I will give you that. You've worked for so long for me and my father that the rules could get lost among duties and chores."

"I still say you forgot the rules."

"Enough, Alucard! I will not have you ruin the mood over the rules of a card game."

A sigh. "Yes, Master."

"Instead of Poker this time, I say we do a game of Blackjack. And Alucard, NO CHEATING. No using your powers to see the next card I am about to draw, no using your powers to see what Walter has, and NO FORMING SPARE CARDS OUT OF SHADOWS EITHER."

"Ruin my fun, will you, Integra."

A growl through gritted teeth. "Alucard…."

A sigh of defeat. "Yes, my master."

A passing of the deck, and the shuffling of the cards began, Integra laying down two cards each for the butler and the vampire, pulling out two for herself as the dealer.

A gesture of another card requested by the vampire. A gesture of the same extent by the butler.

"Oh, not confident in what you have, Walter?"

"I refuse to answer that question."

"Alucard?"

"….stay."

"Walter?"

"Stay as well."

A flip of the dealers cards, King of Hearts, 7 of clubs and 5 of diamonds was drawn. "Oh dear. Thank goodness, no money is riding on this."

"Are you suggesting something, Master?"

"NO."

"Then perhaps another kind of bet is in order. Alucard, what are your parameters if you win this game?"

A moment to think, then a grin of pure mischief. "If I win, you have to wear the male equivalent of a french maid outfit for the weekend."

"Oh God save the Queen…" a sigh of despair at the mental image of Walter in such a uniform. Integra began to feel a headache coming on.

"And if I win, YOU will wear the french maid outfit in your female form and do my chores for the weekend."

"Fine by me."

"NOT as a young girl. You will have to take the form of a voluptuous woman for the outfit to work."

A growl of disapproval, but relenting nonetheless. "Fine!"

"Then let the game begin, gentlemen!"

* * *

A half hour later…..

* * *

"Goodness, a tie! 10 for 10."

"Prepare to face defeat Angel of Death. I think I know a good costume shop that will tailor one up just for you."

"I will not bow down so easily, old friend."

The shuffle of the deck, the drawing of the cards for all three.

"Alucard?"

"….hit me." another card drawn.

"Walter?"

A face fighting hard not to curl into a smirk as he laid down his cards.

King of Spades and Ace of Diamonds.

"!"

"Now about that costume shop that tailors french maid outfits…."

~End


End file.
